28 to become US citizens in Lowcountry ceremony

Guillaume Fochie from Cameroon, left, and Otoniel Paz from Colombia, center, listen to members of Congress fighting for immigration reform, speak about immigration and executive action during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday.

Miguel Solis-Mena from Nicaragua, right, with Lorena Mejia from El Salvador, center, and supporter of immigration reform Donnita Moody from Washington, left, applaud as members of Congress fighting for immigration reform, take turn speaking about immigration and executive action during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday.

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SOUTH CAROLINA (AP):

Nearly 30 people became United States (US) citizens during a naturalisation ceremony held in the Francis Marion National Forest northeast of Charleston.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services held the ceremony for 28 people at the Sewee Visitor & Environmental Center in Awendaw yesterday.

Those who became citizens are from more than 20 nations, including China, Russia, and the United Kingdom.

The ceremony is part of a government effort to make such ceremonies more accessible for those who don't live in major metropolitan areas.

The government says that, during the first six months of this year, 2,400 people became new citizens in ceremonies in South Carolina.